Last month, nine people were arrested by the FBI and are facing federal charges for dealing drugs after an informant dubbed ‘CW1’ made a flurry of phone calls to law enforcement, according to a news article at City Paper.

On August 11, seven of the nine individuals were arrested at the Mondawmin Mall parking lot within a four hour period. Later that day, two other individuals from Washington D.C. were arrested at an apartment complex in northwest Baltimore. A federal grand jury indicted all nine individuals on August 22, charging them in a cocaine and heroin conspiracy.

CW1, the informant, had been arrested after being found with several kilograms of cocaine and heroin. Following his arrest, he “set up” his customers by selling the drugs in the mall parking lot, so that FBI agents could make arrests. One of the arrests involved an individual who allegedly worked as a maintenance man at the Haddon Hill Apartments. A maintenance closet at the apartments contained $216,140 in cash, which agents seized.

Several of the nine individuals arrested appear to have been convicted at the federal level in the past. CW1 placed phone calls to his previous customers, informing them that he had cocaine and heroin. Eight of the nine people arrested brought cash with them; the ninth individual had been alerted by his probation officer, and showed up with no money. He said he did not understand why he was arrested, that he just came to “look at” the drugs and did not have any money on him.

In all, law enforcement seized close to a half-million dollars in cash, and arrested nine kilo-level drug dealers.

Federal drug charges are extremely serious. In Michigan, those who are charged with dealing drugs including heroin and cocaine will face severe penalties; however, the criminal penalties at the federal level are even harsher. For example, someone who is found guilty of trafficking up to 4,999 grams of a Schedule 1 drug such as heroin may spend up to 40 years in prison, and face fines of as much as $2,000,000. This is for a first-time offender. If an individual has a past drug conviction, the punishment will be more severe. The amount of drug or substance involved also plays a role in the punishment an individual will face if convicted.

Drug dealing or trafficking is a very serious problem in the U.S., and lawmakers crack down hard on offenders in an effort to reduce the drug problem. Being convicted of possession with intent to distribute or deliver cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, or other highly addictive drugs will ruin your life, career, and reputation, and cost you your freedom. Whether you are under investigation or have been arrested, contact an aggressive and capable Michigan drug crime attorney at once, so that work can begin to protect your legal rights and future.